(1) Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved seating apparatus for an aircraft and, more particularly, to an economy class seat for passenger aircraft.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Commercial airlines are constantly under pressure to cut costs pertaining to the procurement, maintenance and operation of fleet aircraft. One of the areas that airlines look to for cost cuts are the passenger seats used in the aircraft making up their fleet. For example, increased efficiencies are realized with the ability to seat more passengers per flight. For this reason it is important to minimize the front to back distance (i.e., pitch) between rows of seats. Moreover, keeping the weight of the seats low allows more passengers to be seated per flight.
Thus, there remains a need for an improved aircraft seat that is super lightweight while, at the same time, also provides greater perceived space at a relatively close pitch.